8 Typical North Sumatran Food Recipes You Must Try

When you think of Sumatran food, what generally comes to mind is Padang cuisine, even though there are lots of other delicious foods in every province in Sumatra.

If you have ever visited North Sumatra, there are many delicious foods such as Mie Gomak, Lontong and Soto Medan, as well as typical cakes such as Bolu Meranti and Bika Ambon. Have you tried anything? Come on, try the following typical North Sumatran food recipe to relieve your longing.

1. Mie gomak

Ingredients:

Liquid – 200 grams

Prawns, coarsely chopped – 250 grams

Lemongrass, crushed – 1 stalk

Orange leaves – 2 pieces

Green mustard greens, coarsely sliced ​​– 1 bunch

Thick coconut milk – 150 ml

Ground spices :

Shallots – 8 pieces

Garlic – 4 cloves

Curly red chilies – 5 pieces

Andaliman (Batak pepper) – 1 tbsp

Turmeric finger – 1 segment

How to make :

1. Boil the stick noodles in boiling water mixed with a little cooking oil until soft, about 10 minutes. Lift and drain.
2. Saute the ground spices, lemongrass and lime leaves until fragrant then add the shrimp, stir-fry until they change color.
3. Add the mustard greens, stir-fry until slightly wilted then add the boiled stick noodles, stir well. Add coconut milk and salt, cook until the sauce reduces and thickens. Correct the taste.
4. Lift and serve.

2. Lontong Medan

Ingredients:

Beans, cut obliquely – 150 grams

Carrots, peeled, cut into pieces – 100 grams

Chayote, peeled, diced – 100 grams

Cooking oil – 3 tbsp

Orange leaves – 5 pieces

Bay leaves – 3 pieces

Turmeric leaves, summed – 1 sheet

Medium coconut milk – 1.5 liters

Salt – 2 tsp

Granulated sugar – 1 tsp

Ground spices :

Garlic – 10 cloves

Candlenuts – 3 items

Coriander – 2 tsp

Cumin – 1 tsp

Galangal – 2 cm

Curly red chilies – 3 pieces

Turmeric, roasted – 5 cm

Jahe – 2 cm

Rebon shrimp, fried with a little oil – 2 tbsp

Complementary:

Lontong, cut into pieces – 8 pieces

Sauteed vermicelli – enough

Dry potatoes – enough

Medan tauco chili sauce / red chili chili sauce – to taste

Balado eggs – 8 eggs

Beef rendang with spices – 8 pieces

Red crackers – to taste

How to make :

1. Heat oil, saute ground spices along with lime leaves, bay leaves and turmeric leaves until fragrant.
2. Add carrots and siamese pumpkin, stir until wilted.
3. Add coconut milk, cook until it boils and the carrots are half soft.
4. Add the beans, season with salt and sugar, adjust the taste. Cook until everything is cooked, then remove from heat.
5. Arrange the lontong on a serving plate, pour over the vegetables and sauce while hot. Add stir-fried vermicelli, balado eggs, beef rendang and spices, dried potatoes, red crackers and chili sauce.
6. Ready to be served warm.

3. Medan Vermicelli Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken, cut into pieces according to taste – 1/2 chicken

Potatoes, cut into squares – 2 pieces

Thick coconut milk from 1 coconut – 400 ml

Light coconut milk – 1 liter

Oil for frying – as needed

Spices:

Cinnamon – 3 cm

Cloves – 4 seeds

Cardamom – 2 pcs

Star anise – 1 piece

Curry leaves – 10 pieces

Lemongrass, bruised – 2 stalks

Curry powder – 1 tbsp

Ground spices :

Curly red chilies – 5 pieces

Dried red chilies – 3 pieces

Shallots – 6 cloves

Garlic – 3 cloves

Candlenuts, roasted – 3 items

Turmeric, roasted – 1 segment

Jahe – 2 cm

Complementary:

Ripe vermicelli – 200 grams

Fried shallots – to taste

How to make :

1. Heat oil, saute ground spices and spices until fragrant.
2. Add the chicken, stir until the chicken changes color.
3. Add potatoes, stir until smooth.
4. Add thin coconut milk, cook until the chicken is 3/4 cooked.
5. Add thick coconut milk, add enough sugar and salt. Cook until everything is cooked. Adjust the taste, turn off the heat. Pick up.
6. To serve: put enough vermicelli in a bowl, pour over the chicken curry. Sprinkle with fried shallots. Serve immediately.

Tips

1. When the thick coconut milk is added, stir continuously so that the coconut milk doesn’t break.

4. Soto Medan

Ingredients:

Chicken, cut into 4 parts – 1 tail

Thick coconut milk, from 1 coconut – 1/2 liter

Light coconut milk – 1.2 liters

Galangal – 2 cm

Lemongrass, bruised – 1 stalk

Star anise – 1 piece

Cardamom – 2 grains

Bay leaves – 2 pieces

Orange leaves – 2 pieces

Granulated sugar – 1 tsp

Salt – 2 tsp

Frying oil – enough

Ground spices :

Shallots – 12 pieces

Garlic – 5 cloves

Turmeric, roasted – 2 segments

Jahe – 2 cm

Coriander, roasted – 1 tbsp

Candlenuts, roasted – 5 pieces

Pepper – 1 tsp

Cumin – 1/2 tsp

Lemongrass, just slice the white part – 1 stalk

Complementary:

Boiled eggs, split into 2-4 pieces

Potato cakes – 8 pieces

Bean sprouts, brew hot water then drain – 200 grams

Tomato, cut into pieces – 1 piece

Celery, sliced ​​– to taste

Onion, sliced ​​- enough

Fried shallots – to taste

Green bird’s eye chili sauce – to taste

Emping crackers – to taste

How to make :

1. Rub the chicken with lime juice and salt. Leave it for a few minutes then rinse until clean again.
2. Saute ground spices with galangal, lemongrass, star anise, cardamom, bay leaves and lime leaves until fragrant. Stir until the spices are cooked.
3. Add the chicken and stir until it changes color.
4. Pour in the thin coconut milk with sugar and salt. Stir and cook until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken then drain and set aside.
5. Pour in thick coconut milk. Stir until it boils. Correct the taste. Turn off the heat.
6. In a frying pan, heat the oil. Fry the chicken until brown, then remove and set aside. Shred the chicken then set aside.
7. In a bowl, arrange the shredded chicken, bean sprouts, tomatoes, celery and green onions.
8. Drizzle with soto sauce.
9. Add 1/2 boiled egg and fritters.
10. Ready to be served with emping crackers, green bird’s eye chili sauce, and white rice.

Tips

1. After the thick coconut milk is added, the soto sauce must be stirred occasionally so that the coconut milk doesn’t break.
2. The thickness of the soto sauce can be adjusted to taste.

5. Top View

Ingredients:

Egg yolks – 12 pieces

Granulated sugar – 150 grams

Sago flour – 100 grams

Thick coconut milk – 200 ml

Orange leaves – 10 pieces

Lemongrass, take the white part and bruise it – 1 stalk

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Biang:

Instant yeast – 1 tsp

Granulated sugar – 1 tbsp

Flour – 1 tbsp

Warm water – 50 ml

How to make :

1. In a container, mix all the starter ingredients until smooth. Leave it for 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, boil the coconut milk with lime leaves, lemongrass and salt over low heat until it boils. Remove then leave until the temperature drops. Set aside.
3. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
4. Add the sago flour and the boiled coconut milk alternately. Stir well.
5. Add the starter ingredients. Mix well. Leave it for at least 2 hours.
6. Pour the mixture into the heated baking dish. Gently tap the pan to spread the dough evenly.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes at 180°C. Leave the oven slightly open for the first 30 minutes or until the cake looks bubbly and has holes in it. Then close the oven tightly. Take out the cake.
8. Cut into pieces after cooling. Ready to be served.

6. Napoleon Cake

Ingredients:

Eggs – 5 pieces

Granulated sugar – 80 grams

Emulsifier – 3/4 sdt

Medium protein flour – 65 grams

Cornstarch – 15 grams

Powdered milk – 10 grams

Margarine, melted – 100 grams

Pasta Pandan – 1 tbsp

Pastry skin, size 6 x 25 cm – 4 sheets

Melted chocolate – enough

Chocolate Vla:

Full cream liquid milk – 500 ml

Dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped – 200 grams

Cornstarch, dilute with a little water – 50 grams

How to make :

1. In a container mix eggs, granulated sugar, and emulsifier. Then beat with a mixer until it becomes thick and white with traces.
2. Add the flour, cornstarch and milk powder by sifting gradually. Beat on low speed until evenly mixed.
3. Add the pandan paste, beat well then add the melted margarine, beat at low speed or stir again using a spatula. Make sure there are no margarine deposits at the bottom.
4. Pour into 2 25 x 25 cm baking pans. Bake at 170°C for 30 minutes until cooked. Once cooked, cool on a cooling rack.
5. Vla: Mix milk and dark cooking chocolate, cook until it boils and the chocolate dissolves then add the cornstarch solution. Cook until it thickens and explodes. Set aside.
6. Bake the pastry shell at 180°C for 25 minutes until cooked. Set aside.
7. Solution: Take one sheet of cake, spread the surface with VLA, place the pastry in the middle then spread with VLA. Pile with more pastry, then roll up.
8. Decorate the surface with melted chocolate, napoleon cake is ready to be served.

7. Bolu Meranti Cheese

Material A:

Whole chicken eggs – 4 pieces

Egg yolks – 2 eggs

Granulated sugar – 100 grams

Cake emulsifier – 1 sdt

Essence vanilla – 1 sdt

Material B:

Medium protein wheat flour – 80 grams

Cornstarch – 20 grams

Powdered milk – 10 grams

Melted butter – 100 grams

Material C:

Keju cheddar parut – 340 grams

Cheese, cut into rectangles – 70 grams

Ready-to-use butter cream, for spreading – as needed

Baking paper – 1 sheet

How to make :

1. In a large container, sift the wheat flour. Mix with powdered milk and cornstarch, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar and cake emulsifier until fluffy and pale at high speed. Add vanilla essence, mix again briefly.
3. Lower the mixer speed. Add the flour mixture into the dough little by little while beating with the mixer on the lowest speed.
4. Add the melted butter, then stir until smooth. Don’t leave any melted butter unmixed, because it can make the sponge cake sticky.
5. Preheat oven 180°C. Prepare a baking sheet, line it with baking paper. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until the surface is golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes at 180°C.
6. Remove from the pan then let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes first.
7. Gently peel off the paper. Roll the cake with parchment paper, then let it cool until the heat of the cake disappears completely.
8. Unroll the cake slowly. After that, spread butter cream and sprinkle with grated cheese and cheese that has been cut into pieces. Roll the cake again. Make sure it is tight so that the cake is dense and perfectly round.
9. After rolling, spread butter cream on the outside of the cake. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before cutting into pieces. After that, Bolu Meranti Cheese is ready to be served.

8. Egg Milk Tea (Talua) Typical of Medan

Ingredients:

Chicken egg yolk – 2 grains

Tea – 3 bags

Sweetened condensed milk – 4 tbsp

Granulated sugar – 2 tbsp

Water – 500 ml

Lime – 1 piece

How to make :

1. Put in 2 serving glasses each 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Beat with a hand mixer or electric beater until white and thick. Set aside.
2. Brew the tea with 500 ml of boiling water, let it stand until it becomes concentrated.
3. Pour the brewed tea into a glass containing the beaten egg, then add 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to each glass.
4. Egg Milk Tea is ready to be served with a squeeze of lime juice.

Atsarina Luthfiyyah (Senior Editor)

Has educational experience in the fields of Culinary and Journalism. His hobbies are writing, traveling and cooking. Masters in Communication Sciences at Gadjah Mada University
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